He’d killed both Jinx and T.D.? Her hand itched to slap him until he quit his stupid blubbering. But she knew she was partially to blame for this. She’d known the man wasn’t strong.
She hadn’t expected him to do something so stupid as to kill T.D. Not T.D. She fought her own tears at the thought of him being gone. For so long, she dreamed of the day that she and T.D. would be husband and wife. They’d have kids, buy a house, maybe take a trip to Disney World.
That dream burst like a soap bubble. Even if T.D. wasn’t dead, he might be lost to her.
“You’re a good shot, aren’t you?” she asked. “I mean, you beat T.D. and Travis every time at the state fair. You always get your elk and deer every year, killing them in one shot, not spoiling any meat. Isn’t that right, Wyatt?”
He nodded, but couldn’t hold her gaze. She felt her heart drop. What had the man done?
Patty placed her hand on his thigh. He sniffed but was no longer crying. He wiped his face on his sleeve again and looked over at her as if the sun rose and set on her. “You say T.D. went after Jinx?”
He nodded and she listened as he told her how T.D. had been drinking and getting more angry every hour. The herd was almost to the summer grazing range. They were running out of time.
“You know how he gets when he drinks,” Wyatt said, his voice hoarse. “He was crazy. There was no talking him out of it.” She patted his thigh and told him to continue. “He and I went in through the camp, but then he found Jinx and started dragging her down the mountain away from the others.
“Travis got hurt first. I heard him scream. Through the trees I could see that he’d been knocked off his horse. I heard him say his arm was broken. Then I think Cash and Royce got caught. That’s when I heard a gunshot, then another. I didn’t know what was going on. I don’t know who all were killed.”
“Because you were following T.D. so you could get a good shot at Jinx,” she reminded him.
He nodded and swallowed, looking guilty. “I was watching them through the scope on my rifle.” He met her gaze. “I was just doing what you asked me to.”
Patty removed her hand from his thigh. She could see that was exactly what he would tell the sheriff. That she’d made a deal with him to kill Jinx. She had no doubt that under pressure, he would break down. He would tell the sheriff that it had been her idea. Knowing Wyatt, the fool would probably even tell the sheriff what she’d promised him if he killed Jinx for her. She could deny it, but she feared that Wyatt would be the more believable one, especially if it went to trial.
Panic rose in her, but she tamped it back down. If T.D. was dead, what did she care if she went to prison? Her life would be over without him. But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe all of this could be saved.
She tried to think. “Where is everyone now?” Wyatt was sobbing again into his hands. She shook his shoulder again. “Where is everyone now?”
He lifted his head, wiping his face with his sodden sleeve as he tried to pull himself together again. “I saw helicopters. Two of them. The medical ones. I guess the injured are at the hospital by now. I had to get out of there before they saw me.”
So whoever had survived this fiasco had gone to the hospital—or was still up on the mountain. “You should stay here,” she said. Wyatt brightened. “I’ll go to the hospital and find out who all made it.” He nodded, looking miserable again. “I’ll be back. You should get some rest. Whatever you do, don’t leave, okay?” He nodded. “Don’t talk to anyone. I mean anyone. This is just between the two of us.” He nodded again, looking hopeful.
She told herself that if she played this right, she might be able to save herself. If not, it would be her word against Wyatt’s. She didn’t even have to guess which the sheriff would believe since he’d known them both since they were kids. Which meant she was going to have to get Wyatt to lie. With a sigh, she knew what she’d have to do in that case.
Patty dressed quickly. If T.D. was alive, then he could be one of those brought out by helicopter. She imagined him in the hospital, injured, but alive. She refused to even consider that he was dead up there on the mountain along with all of her dreams.
T.D. was strong and smart and determined, she assured herself. He would survive—he had to. Once she saw him, she’d have to deal with Wyatt. That prospect had little appeal. If only he’d done what she’d asked. He’d said he’d seen Jinx on the ground. He’d said he’d seen blood. Maybe the shot he’d taken had passed through her and hit T.D., barely wounding him. That was possible.
She hung on to the hope that Jinx was dead and T.D. merely injured. Still, she wanted to throttle Wyatt. The damned fool. Why would he take a shot when T.D. was struggling with Jinx?
Because she’d asked him to kill Jinx.
Unfortunately, she feared that wasn’t all that was going through Wyatt’s mind during that instant when he’d pulled that trigger. The man was too good a shot to do something so stupid. So reckless. So dangerous. But if she was right, then that, too, would be her fault.
Her blood ran cold at what she might have done—signed T.D.’s death warrant. But maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe T.D. was still alive. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her, either. Maybe she could cover her tracks.
Then there was Wyatt. Would the sheriff be looking for him? Not yet.
